1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutter cassette movably having a cutting blade therein and to a cutting device to which the cutter cassette is mounted for use.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art to provide cutting devices using cutting blades of various shapes as office equipment for cutting paper into a designated size at a time. Among such cutting devices are a cutting device which uses a circular rotary blade as a cutting blade to prevent displacements of paper when cutting. This type of cutting device often includes a slider on a guide rail. There is also a hand-operated cutter of a more compact and portable type for cutting paper, cloth, felt and the like without the need for the guide rail and the slider. In the conventional cutting devices, various improvements and inventions have been provided in order to ensure safety for cutting blades which are exposed in use. Particularly, cutting devices equipped with a safety cover or the like for avoiding the cutting blade from contacting with hand. However, since the safety cover or the like must be removed when mounting the cutting blade on the cutting device, some cutting devices cannot interchange the cutting blades speedily. Furthermore, when a portion of the cutting blade is exposed, extra caution on safety is required for interchanging work; accordingly, prompt work may not be ensured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,459 discloses a cutting device having a slider on a guide rail, in which the slider is pivotally mounted on the guide rail in an upwardly perpendicular relation thereto, so that speedier cutting-blade interchanging work is provided. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,001 proposes a speedy cutting-blade interchange by forming a portion for housing a plurality of replacement blades on a base and by configuring the slider on the guide rail to be freely opened and closed. Furthermore, in a cutter cassette disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-42979, in order to easily mount or interchange cutting blades without direct contact therewith, the cutting blade housed in a housing is covered by a protective plate which can be housed in the housing, thereby allowing the cutting blade to be covered or exposed as necessary and facilitating handling of the cutting blade. However, the cutting blades to be interchanged are prepared unprotected in any of these patents, so that the safety of users is not ensured. As described above, although the history of the invention for cutting-blade interchanging work of cutting devices is very old, many inventions and devices have been bound for a long time by a traditional viewpoint of interchanging exposed cutting blades.
The present invention is made in consideration of the above problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cutter cassette in which a whole cutting blade is housed and held therein when not used, and the cutting blade is protruded promptly when used, and to provide a cutting device using the cutter cassette.
In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the invention, a cutter cassette movably holds a cutting blade therein.
With such a configuration, the cutting blade can be promptly extended from the cutter cassette when used, that is, in an operative state.
In the invention according to a second aspect of the invention, a cutter cassette singly holds the cutting blade therein in a completely inserted state.
With such a configuration, the cutting blade can be securely housed and held in the cutter cassette when not used, that is, in an inoperative state.
In the invention according to the first or the second aspect of the invention, the cutter cassette includes a holding mechanism for holding the cutting blade therein in a completely inserted state, and an extending mechanism for extending the cutting blade outwardly.
With such a configuration, the cutting blade can be housed in the cutter cassette by using the holding mechanism in an inoperative state, and the cutting blade in the cutter cassette can easily be extended using the release mechanism and the extending mechanism in an operative state, thereby improving safety and operability.
In the invention according to a third aspect of the invention, a cutter cassette includes a cutter case for supporting a cutting blade, and a case holder for movably housing the cutter case therein.
With such a configuration, the cutting blade can easily be held in the case holder by using the cutter case, and greater flexibility of positioning operation in the case holder and also various functions can be provided by providing various functions on the outer surface of the cutter case.
Furthermore, in the invention according to the third aspect of the invention, the cutter cassette further includes a holding mechanism for holding the cutter case in the case holder in a completely inserted state, and an extending mechanism for extending the cutter case out from the case holder so as to project the cutting blade from the case holder.
With such a configuration, by using the cutter cassette, in an inoperative state, the cutting blade can easily be housed in the cutter cassette by using the holding mechanism and, in an operative state, the cutting blade in the cutter cassette can be movably projected with greater flexibility of operation by using the release mechanism and the extending mechanism, thereby providing a cutter cassette having improved safety and operability.
In the cutter cassette according to the third aspect of the invention, the cutter case includes a first protrusion protruding outwardly, and the case holder includes a second protrusion protruding inwardly, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are engaged with each other to form the holding mechanism for holding the cutter case in the case holder in a completely inserted state.
With such a configuration, the holding mechanism can be configured simply by using the two protrusions.
In the cutter cassette according to the third aspect of the invention, the case holder further includes a third protrusion protruding outwardly or inwardly, pushes the first protrusion inwardly by the third protrusion, and disengages the first protrusion from the second protrusion, thereby constituting a release mechanism for releasing the holding mechanism.
With such a configuration, the release mechanism can be configured simply by using the three protrusions.
In the cutter cassette according to the third aspect of the invention, the holding mechanism is a spring engaged with the cutter case and the case holder, and the cutter case is held in the case holder in a completely inserted state by the elasticity of the spring.
With such a configuration, the holding mechanism can be configured simply by using the spring.
In the cutter cassette according to the third aspect of the invention, the holding mechanism is magnets each engaged with the cutter case and the case holder, and the cutter case is held in the case holder in a completely inserted state by the attraction of the magnets.
With such a configuration, the holding mechanism can be configured simply by using the magnets.
In the cutter cassette according to the third aspect of the invention, the holding mechanism is implanted hair engaged with the cutter case and the case holder, and the cutter case is held in the case holder in a completely inserted state by the friction of the implanted hair.
With such a configuration, the holding mechanism can be configured simply by using the implanted hair.
In the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the extending mechanism extends the cutting blade in synchronization with an external driving mechanism.
With such a configuration, the extending mechanism of the cutter cassette according to the invention can extend the cutting blade by using the driving mechanism mounted to a cutting device. Furthermore, the cutting blade can be extended at the same time the cutter cassette according to the invention is mounted to the cutting device.
The cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention further includes an opening on the outside surface for operating the extending mechanism by using the driving mechanism.
With such a configuration, the extending mechanism can be operated promptly by using the driving mechanism through the opening.
In the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the extending mechanism includes a rack formed on the side of the cutter case, and the rack is formed in parallel with the opening formed on the side of the case holder.
With such a configuration, the cutting blade can be extended by operating the extending mechanism by using the cutter cassette in combination with the driving mechanism using a gear mechanism of the cutting device.
In the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the extending mechanism includes a second rack formed on the side of the cutter case, wherein the first rack is formed in parallel with the opening formed on the side of the case holder, and wherein the second rack is formed in parallel with the first rack and closer to the center of the cutting blade than the first rack.
With such a configuration, the extending mechanism is operated by using the cutter cassette in combination with the driving mechanism using the gear mechanism of the cutting device to thereby increase the traveling distance of the cutter case as compared with that of the case holder, thereby extending the cutting blade.
The cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention further includes an engaging portion with which a positioning member for positioning and fixing the cutter cassette in an operative state is engaged.
With such a configuration, safe operation of the cutter cassette can be ensured when used and cutting operation can be performed with stability.
A cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention includes a driving mechanism for shifting the cutting blade into an operative state when the cutter cassette is mounted to a cutter-cassette mounting portion of the cutting device.
With such a configuration, when the cutter cassette is inserted into the cutting device, the cutter cassette is detachably housed in the cutting device, and can be promptly discriminated via the cutter-cassette mounting portion. Moreover, the cutting blade in the cutter cassette can be shifted to an operative state by using the driving mechanism when the cutter cassette is pushed in, thereby setting the cutting device into an operative state.
In the cutting device using the cutter-cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the driving mechanism includes at least one gear, and extends the cutter case in the case holder in synchronization with the operation of pushing the cutter cassette, thereby shifting the cutting blade into an operative state.
With such a configuration, for example, a multistage gear is used as a driving mechanism, and the traveling distance of the inner cutter case is increased as compared with that of the case holder, thereby allowing the cutting blade to shift to an operative state in synchronization with the pressure of the cutter cassette to the cutting device.
In the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the driving mechanism includes at least one gear, and extends the cutter case in the case holder by using the mechanism after the cutter cassette has been pushed in, thereby shifting the cutting blade into an operative state.
With such a configuration, for example, a multistage gear is used as a driving mechanism to extend the cutter case in the case holder after the cutter cassette has been mounted in the cutting device, thereby allowing the cutting blade to project.
In the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the driving mechanism includes an actuating rod in the cutting device and extends the cutter case in the case holder after the cutter cassette has been pushed in, thereby shifting the cutting blade into an operative state.
With such a configuration, by using the driving mechanism having the actuating rod in the cutting device, the cutter case is extended in the case holder after the cutter cassette has been mounted in the cutting device, thereby allowing the cutting blade to project. In this case, an engaging portion for positioning the cassette is unnecessary.
In the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the driving mechanism includes an actuating rod on the side of the cutter cassette and extends the cutter case in the case holder in synchronization with the operation of pushing the cutter cassette, thereby shifting the cutting blade into an operative state.
With such a configuration, by using the driving mechanism having the actuating rod on the side of the cutter cassette, the cutting blade can be shifted to an operative state in synchronization with the operation of pushing the cutter cassette into the cutting device.
In the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the driving mechanism is a cam groove in the cutting device; and the extending mechanism is a protrusion connected with a rotary blade provided on the cutter cassette; wherein the cam groove and the protrusion are engaged with each other in synchronization with the operation of pushing the cutter cassette, thereby shifting the cutting blade into an operative state.
With such a configuration, by using the cam groove provided in the cutting device as a driving mechanism, the cutting blade can be shifted to an operative state in synchronization with the operation of pushing the cutter cassette into the cutting device.
In the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to any one of the first to the third aspect of the invention, the external driving mechanism is driven manually.
With such a configuration, a complex driving mechanism is omitted, thereby providing a simple and economical cutting device.
While the cutter cassette and the cutting device using the cutter cassette according to the invention are principally configured as described above, other alternative mechanisms can be adopted as a holding mechanism, a release mechanism, and an extending mechanism to achieve the same object as that of the claims. However, the shapes of the cutter case and the case holder are modified in accordance with the embodiment in this case. The cutting blade according to the invention may be a knife-shaped blade or a rotary blade. The cutting function includes cutting in broken lines and in patterns, and striation. The cutting blade may be manually or automatically operated along with the cutter cassette for housing it. The gear mechanism according to the driving mechanism of the invention may constitute a gear train along with other plurality of gear mechanisms. Furthermore, the cutter cassette according to the invention is not limited only for desktop cutting devices. The cutting device may be a compact and portable manually-operated cutter. Moreover, cutting operation can be performed singly by the cutter cassette according to the invention.